


Caught in the Web

by illuminousink



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Childhood Friends, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Obsession, Referenced Drunk Sex? but not really, Twisted love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-26 18:53:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30110466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/illuminousink/pseuds/illuminousink
Summary: Baekhyun's dating experience always ends just right after they start. That's why Sehun never wanted to confess. He'd rather be that best friend who got to love Baekhyun secretly, than that stranger who could never get close to Baekhyun.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Oh Sehun
Comments: 4
Kudos: 16
Collections: Round 1 - Inside Out





	Caught in the Web

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!
> 
> First and foremost thank you so much to the mods for accepting my work even though I was super late. T_T You guys rock!
> 
> Big shout out to my beta, Shirley, who brainstormed with me and practically helped me lower the word count because I forgot about the limit and went beyond that. lol.
> 
> PS. I think it's a bit dark? But I don't know if it is. But just in case, I did put it in the tags. Hope you have fun reading!

_Obsession;_ _the state of being obsessed with someone or something_ _._ _An idea or thought that continually preoccupies or intrudes on a person's mind_ _._

_According to the dictionary, it’s a negative word that wraps someone’s addiction to something or someone. Obsession. Yes, it seems that the word was made for people who centered their entire being on a specific person or item._

_Love;_ _an intense feeling of deep affection._

_What makes love different from obsession? Two words could simply mean the same, but the other is looked down upon._

_Just like when people watch others while they sleep, it's considered weird, creepy, frighteningly disgusting._

_But somehow, some manage to do it without getting caught. Those lucky ones are labelled with relations that perfectly fit the position that coincides with their goal._

“Obsession really is a disgusting thing, huh?”

“Yeah. Pretending to be someone they’re not so that they could stay as someone important to the people they’re obsessed with. It could be a friend, a pseudo sibling or even a best friend!”

Baekhyun’s ear twitched after hearing the loud discussion from the other table. He couldn’t help but shake his head when their discussion was getting louder by the minute.

“You’d think they’d stop talking so loudly after getting a warning.”

The platinum-haired boy looked up from his book to smile at the black-haired boy right in front of him. “Yeah. But are they bothering your studies, Hunnie? Just let me know, and I’ll ask them nicely to shut up.”

The raven hair shook his head, leaning his chin on his hand that was atop the table. “Nah. Psychology students are always like that. I’m used to their discussions. Plus, I’m done with my studies. How about you, Baek?”

“As you can see…” Baekhyun grinned, proudly showing the beautiful untainted pages of his notebook.

A sigh escaped Sehun’s lips, “I can never understand how you get high scores without really studying.”

“I’m a visual learner, and I learn better after watching it. I’m also a physical learner—“

“Who learns by touching. I remember.” Sehun rolled his eyes, tired of the phrase.

Though to others, it may seem like nothing but friends teasing each other. To Sehun, there’s a hint of bitterness lingering in his heart.

Sehun’s gaze shifted to the phone that vibrated on the table. A text notification popped out of the screen, and he could barely hold his irritation by gritting his teeth.

“Oh, that’s my cue! I gotta—”

“Go.”

“I’ll be home for supper. Make sure to make my share.” Baekhyun said, leaning forward to leave a kiss on Sehun’s cheek before hopping out of the library.

To others, the two looked like a couple. Yet, the truth also hides the bitterness that lingers inside Sehun. They weren’t a couple. They were merely best of friends.

Childhood best friends, to be quite exact.

An exhausted sigh left Sehun’s lips. His hand wavering to hold the place where Baekhyun’s lips landed on.

It was always like this. Baekhyun was the type of person who was intimate with everyone. Sehun was not an exception to that. In fact, among others, he was often mistaken as Baekhyun’s lover due to the time they spend together. Not only that, but by way Baekhyun choose to show his ‘ _love’_ toward his best friend often raised people’s brows. It was also easy for him to hug, hold hands, and even kiss to show intimacy towards anyone, especially to Sehun, who he often was with.

Unfortunately for Sehun, his heart isn’t made of steel. And thus, it harboured feelings for his bestfriend who would always be out there, gallivanting to god knows where, kissing someone, dating another or maybe something more.

“Stop wavering, damn it.”

Sehun whispered to himself, grasping his chest where his hammering heart was both excited from the kiss and disappointed from Baekhyun’s departure.

Though Baekhyun often wandered around, seeing someone or another in such short periods of time, he never stayed over someone else’s house and always made it home for supper.

The two-bedroom apartment that the two got was something Baekhyun pleaded to their parents. As childhood friends, their parents were naturally close to each other. So moving out to get their own apartment for university was something that their parents approved.

“Hey, you’re ba—Baek?!”

Sehun was just about to greet Baekhyun when he heard the door open, but he didn’t expect to see him crying.

“W-What happened?”

“We broke up,” Baekhyun sniffed as he cried.

Words got stuck in Sehun’s throat. Though he wanted to say something, he knew perfectly well what would help Baekhyun more than words. He simply opened his arms and waited for the smaller to walk into them. The small body that he wrapped around his arms felt frail, his mind screaming to _protect_.

“Mm… Just cry it out.”

Sehun glanced at the dinner table. The food would have to wait.

_A woman in her mid-twenties was combing a little boy’s hair. She had a beautiful smile that resembled her child’s, yet his eyes bore temptation that allured those who looked into it._

_“She was like a butterfly, my child. So… magnificent… The moment I laid my eyes on her, I knew that I found the perfect being. I knew it was love at first sight. She was just so perfect that I couldn’t stop but want her. I couldn’t have her but with you… you’re my chance. If you manage to trap her son, then she’ll be mine as well. I’ll teach you everything I know… but make sure that he falls in your spiderweb, my son.”_

_She smiled, hugging her son into her arms as they both looked at the mirror standing in front of them. A sinister smile painted along the lips of the child as he answered._

_“Yes, mother.”_

Light peeked through the curtain, successfully waking Sehun. He looked down at the body that had squeezed himself into his arms. Last night’s events replayed in his mind, remembering how Baekhyun cried himself to sleep and Sehun carried him into his room.

Baekhyun’s sleeping figure was nothing but ethereal. The way his skin sparkled along the sunlight, his long eyelashes flickering along with his breathing. Everything about Baekhyun was dazzling to Sehun.

‘I hate this.’

Sehun thought to himself. Seeing Baekhyun all defenseless, relying solely on him whenever something bad happened, often made him fall deeper, harder into the depths of desire. The more he tried to restrain himself, the deeper he fell into that abyss, and he’s having a hard time trying to hold onto his sanity, to his reasoning. He wanted it to stop, to deny everything and clean his slate and fall for someone that wasn’t Baekhyun. He wanted to see someone else in the same light Baekhyun was at. He was on a pedestal that his mind worshipped, a dream that his heart desired. Baekhyun had become a central part of his life that his attempts of looking another way was futile.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when Baekhyun stirred in his sleep. Eyes then flickered open to reveal soulful eyes.

“Hey,” Sehun called out in a whisper.

As if it were a dream, Baekhyun raised his head. A blink away, and Sehun felt soft lips against his. He was surprised, confusion exploding inside him. Body, mind and heart were in chaos, unsure what was happening. And as if it was natural to do so, Baekhyun pulled away with a slight smile, saying, “Thanks for always helping me, Sehunie. I don’t know what I’d do without you. I love you, my best friend.”

Reality threw cold water along Sehun’s face. The taller forced out a smile on his lips. Restraining everything inside him, locking all of his emotions in a chest to keep it hidden, locked away in the darkness of his mind.

“You know I’ll always be here for you.”

Sehun inhaled Baekhyun’s scent as the smaller wrapped his arms around his body. It felt so good, so natural that Sehun wanted mornings to be like this—always. But the reality was, a confession will break things apart. Their friendship will crumble into dust, and what they have now will cease to exist. Like all of Baekhyun’s relationship, not one will last, and he was sure that this was no different. So it’s better this way. It’s better to stay as friends, to stay together, to love his best friend secretly.

_The woman in her late twenties smiled bitterly at her son’s question._

_“Why didn’t you take her?”_

_“Because her radiance shone like the sun when she fell in love. I couldn’t possibly stop that. She bloomed so perfectly that I couldn’t do anything but watch.”_

_“Even though you can’t have her?”_

_“I wasn’t the one she loved, and I didn’t want her brightness to dim.”_

_The smile on her face changed. The little boy knew of that expression, and though he has seen it many times, it still made him shudder._

_“Of course, you won’t make the same mistake because her son will fall in love with you. Just do as I say, my child. Everything will fall into place.”_

_“Yes,… mother.”_

The worst of it all happened one evening when Baekhyun missed supper. Sehun was surprised when the smaller reached home, sobbing. Baekhyun was obviously distraught, but the taller wasn’t sure what it was.

“B-Baek? What’s wrong? Please,… tell me.”

It felt like a dream, at first, when Baekhyun’s lips landed on his. A smell of alcohol woke him back to reality when he pulled away from Baekhyun. “B-Baek… are you drunk?”

“I can’t do this anymore, Hunnie… I can’t help it. I love you too much, it’s starting to hurt here.” The smaller said, pointing to his chest.

Sehun’s eyes widened with the sudden confession. But he wondered if this was all because of the alcohol in the other's system. “Baek… I don’t think you know what you’re doing. You’re probably drunk and…”

“I'm not! You! Why can't you look at me differently? Why am I just a bestfriend to you?” Baekhyun sobbed, making Sehun panic.

“N-no… Baek… I-I... Baek, you don’t know how much I—” Sehun let out a frustrated sigh. “Damn it. It's not supposed to be like this.”

“I’ve-I’ve been trying to get your attention… But you can't see it. Why can’t it be me? Why can't you love me?”

Sehun couldn’t help but look at the smaller with worry. Though he wanted to say something more, the sobbing had to stop for Baekhyun to hear him. So he did what he thought would be best. Leaning forward, he captured Baekhyun’s lips, sealing it with a kiss.

As their breaths heated along the kiss, they were separated when Sehun fell on the couch, followed by Baekhyun, who straddled him right away.

“Tell me what you really feel, Sehun. Please tell me that you love me too… Please.”

Sehun felt this indescribable heat eating his chest. His lips parted, eyes centered on Baekhyun’s. And then the words he kept hidden finally bounced out of his lips. “I love you.”

The night ran deep with their bodies connected, skin against skin with words that closed all the gap that remained between them.

And as Sehun fell asleep under the covers, Baekhyun watched him with hawk-like eyes. He caressed the taller’s cheek, letting a smile leave his lips. He bit his lip as he snickered to himself. He glanced at his pants that were discarded on the floor after their primal interaction, a small vial of perfume that smelled like alcohol sticking out from its pocket.

A sinister smile curved along Baekhyun’s lips as he whispered to himself.

_‘I finally caught him… mother.’_


End file.
